Schmaltz is rendered poultry fat, in this
case made from chicken, while gribenes are
its crispy, crackling-like byproduct that
comes from bits of chicken skin. The key to
this recipe is to go low and slow: You want
the fat to cook gently and thoroughly so it
renders completely without burning. Some
would argue that the onion is mandatory and
not optional, but if you plan to use the
schmaltz for very delicate recipes, or sweet
recipes (chilled schmaltz works wonderfully
as the fat in pastry dough), feel free to
leave it out. Your schmaltz won’t have as
deep a flavor, but it will be more
versatile. Schmaltz will last for at least a
week in the refrigerator and up to six
months in the freezer. If your butcher won’t
sell it to you, the best way to obtain
chicken skin and fat is to collect trimmings
in the freezer every time you buy a whole
bird. Or you can strip the skin and fat from
chicken thighs and save the skinless meat to
use in other recipes.

INGREDIENTS

·
¾poundchicken
skin and fat, diced (use scissors, or freeze then dice with a knife)

·
¾teaspoonkosher
salt

·
½mediumonion,
peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
(optional)

PREPARATION

1.In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, toss chicken skin
and fat with salt and 1 tablespoon water and
spread out in one layer. Cook over medium
heat for about 15 minutes, until fat starts
to render and skin begins to turn golden at
the edges.

2.Add onions and cook 45 to 60 minutes longer, tossing
occasionally, until chicken skin and onions
are crispy and richly browned, but not
burned.

3.Strain through a sieve. Reserve the schmaltz. If you want the
gribenes to be crispier, return to the
skillet and cook over high heat until done
to taste. Drain gribenes on a
paper-towel-lined plate.

NOTE

If you’d
rather make the schmaltz in the oven
(less splatter), skip the water, spread
salted skin and fat on a baking sheet,
and bake at 350 degrees, stirring every
10 minutes. Add onion after 15 minutes.
The timing will be about the same for
both methods.

SCHMALTZ LATKES

Frying latkes inschmaltz—
rendered poultry fat — is the traditional
Ashkenazi method, what Central and Eastern
European Jews typically did before
assimilating in America. It makes for an
exceptional latke: crisp-edged and deeply
flavored, with a nutty, rich flavor that’s
much more complex than if you fry them in
flavorless vegetable oil. For the best
results, make the batter for these just
before frying and serve immediately. Also
keep in mind that serving these with the
optional sour cream or yogurt makes them
unsuitable to anyone keeping kosher. If
you’re making schmaltz from scratch for this
recipe, do use the onion; it adds a lovely
caramelized sweetness to the mix. The
gribenes, which are the crispy bits of
chicken skin that fry in the rendered fat,
make an excellent garnish. (They are usually
strained out of store-bought schmaltz; if
you don’t have them, just omit them here.)

1.Using a food processor with a coarse
grating disc, grate potato and shallot.
Transfer mixture to a clean dish towel and
squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

2.Working quickly, transfer mixture to
a large bowl. Toss in flour, egg, salt,
baking powder and pepper until combined.

3.Heat a medium skillet over
medium-high, then pour in about 1/4 inch of
schmaltz. Once schmaltz is hot, drop heaping
1/4 cup measures of batter into pan. Use a
spatula to flatten the drops into discs.
When edges of latkes are crispy, in 5 to 7
minutes, flip them. Cook until second side
is golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
If latkes get too brown before they are
cooked through, lower the heat. Transfer to
a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat
with remaining batter.

4.Serve latkes topped with sour cream
and applesauce, if you like. Garnish with
gribenes if you have them.

SCHMALTZ ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Roasting brussels sprouts inschmaltz—
rendered poultry fat —gives them an
incredibly nutty richness that you can’t get
from any other fat. If you are making the
schmaltz from scratch for this recipe (and
you should if you want the gribenes), do use
the onion, which lends an incomparable
browned sweetness to the mix. The gribenes,
which are the crispy bits of chicken skin
that fry in the rendered fat, make an
excellent garnish. (They may be strained out
of store-bought schmaltz; if you don’t have
them, just omit them here.) This recipe goes
particularly well with a nice roasted
chicken, whose flavor underscores the
schmaltz.

2. Next, remove corn from cobs using
a serrated knife, chop the pepper
and slice the onions. Briefly sauté
the veggies in olive oil until
slightly softened and fragrant.
Then, add veggies to the flour
mixture, as well as the cilantro,
egg, lemon juice and water. Stir
mixture with a spatula until
well-combined.

3. To cook: heat olive oil in a
large skillet over a medium heat.
When the oil begins to move about
the pan freely, the pan is ready.
Next, use a large soup spoon to
scoop the fritter mixture from the
bowl and dollop into the pan. Allow
to cook at least 30 seconds or until
golden brown and crispy. Then, flip
and cook the opposite side.

4. Transfer to a plate lined with
paper towels and allow to drain.
Continue frying the rest of the
fritters, replenishing oil as
needed.

PREPARATION

In the bowl of a standing mixer,
dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon
sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm
water.

Using the paddle attachment,
stir orange zest, juice and oil
into yeast mixture, then add 2
eggs, 1 at a time, and remaining
sugar and salt. Switch to the
dough hook and gradually add 6
cups of flour, kneading for
about 5 minutes and adding more
flour as needed to make a
slightly sticky, smooth and
elastic dough.

Grease a large bowl, turn dough
into it and then turn the dough
over to grease the top. Cover
with greased plastic wrap and
let rise in a warm place for 1
hour, or refrigerate for a few
hours or overnight.

When the dough has almost
doubled, punch it down, remove
it to a lightly floured counter,
knead it briefly until smooth
and divide it in half. Roll each
piece into a cylinder about 27
inches long, making sure there
are no seams in the dough. Bring
one end of the dough up to the
other and twist to form a
spiral. Push both ends together
to make a squat 12-inch loaf.
Repeat with other piece of dough
and arrange loaves on a
parchment-lined baking sheet at
least 2 inches apart. You can
also twist the long spirals into
a circle if you like; the dough
is very malleable.

Beat remaining egg and egg yolk
and brush about half the mixture
on the loaves, reserving the
rest. Let the dough rise
uncovered another half-hour or
overnight in refrigerator.

If dough was refrigerated, bring
to room temperature. Heat oven
to 350 degrees and in a small
bowl, combine fennel, poppy and
sesame seeds. Brush the loaves
with egg again and sprinkle with
seeds.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or
until golden and firm when
tapped with a spatula. Cool on a
rack.

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